


What Kind Of Life Would That Be?

by HeartsInJeopardy



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms
Genre: Christmas, F/F, First Kiss, Friends to Girlfriends, Milkshakes, Prom, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Tooth Rotting Fluff, beronica, slumber party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-14 19:18:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18482698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartsInJeopardy/pseuds/HeartsInJeopardy
Summary: How Betty and Veronica found love - without Archie.





	1. First Dance

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by Archie Comics, not Riverdale. But Riverdale fans might enjoy it anyway.

“I just have something to say, before they bring out the crowns,” Betty shouted, snatching the microphone from Mr. Weatherbee’s hand.

Beside her, on stage, Archie tugged nervously at his bow tie. He stared at her with wide eyes as she flashed him a wicked grin.

Riverdale High’s homecoming king and queen didn’t traditionally give speeches, but Betty knew her date had another reason to fear what she was about to say.

“As you all know,” she said, looking out at the confused faces of her classmates, “the homecoming court is _not_ just a popularity contest. Your king and queen are _supposed_ to embody the values that Riverdale High upholds.”

By now the crowd had started to murmur. Betty glanced at Archie and saw that his face had turned the same shade of red as his hair.

“Sadly,” she continued, “your king wasn’t exactly embodying honesty, integrity, or kindness when he asked two girls to be his date to this dance by text message. At the _exact_ same time.”

The students let out gasps, groans, and stunned laughs. Betty didn’t bother turning to look at Archie, but the defeated sigh she heard from him spoke volumes.

“Which is why,” she said over the din, “I can’t in good conscience share these titles with Archie.”

A smattering of applause broke out, with shouts of support, but Betty raised a hand to silence her classmates.

“Instead, I’d like to reward the honesty and caring of the person who shared this news with me… by inviting Veronica Lodge to reign alongside me as Riverdale High’s homecoming _queens_.”

The collection of shrieks and cheers from the students seemed to fill the gym, and the applause they gave the announcement was even more enthusiastic than the one Betty and Archie had received in the first place.

Despite knowing all along what Betty had in store, Veronica played her part to perfection as she stepped on stage.

Betty was impressed by her expression of surprise, and the way she clutched a hand over her heart in disbelief. Maybe the acting lessons Mr. Lodge had paid for were finally getting somewhere.

The genuine surprise came next, when their principal took his microphone back and shooed Archie off stage with a wave of his hand. He hurried down the steps and into the crowd without a glance back at Betty, his head bowed and shoulders slumped.

Betty offered her hand to Veronica, and she took it with a triumphant grin, brushing her long, dark hair out of her face. Mr. Weatherbee lifted a pair of plastic, gold-painted crowns onto their heads.

“Well, it’s most unconventional,” he said. “But I don’t think I could have expressed my feelings any better than Ms. Cooper just did.” He flashed them both a cheerful smile.

“And since I hear no objections from the voting public, I’m happy to present your Riverdale High homecoming queens.”

The crowd broke into wild applause again as Betty and Veronica stepped off stage, hand in hand, and made their way to the center of the dance floor.

There was a hitch as the music started up – both girls hesitated as they reached for each other. Veronica took the initiative to slide her hands around Betty’s hips, so Betty set her hands on Veronica’s shoulders.

They swayed back and forth to the beat, as Betty made sure to savor the moment. Veronica’s smiling face and the way her sequined dress glimmered under the gym’s lights were just as satisfying as the sight of Archie sulking over her shoulder.

Veronica wrinkled her nose, looking up to the speakers and back to Betty. “Did you pick this out?” she asked.

It took Betty a moment to realize she was asking about the music.

“You don’t like it?” She pouted her lips. “LeAnn Rimes, it’s a classic.”

“Not really my style.” Veronica shook her head.

“Well.” Betty smiled. “I’ll let _you_ pick out the song the next time we dance together.”

Veronica laughed. “Careful,” she warned with a wink, “I’ll hold you to that.”

Betty leaned closer, letting her arms trail over Veronica’s shoulders as they swayed in time. She stared off, deep in thought, staring at the smiling faces around them as the music played on.

“I know I already told you this,” she said softly, “but I’m so grateful you told me the truth about Archie. You knew it could have hurt me, but you chose to be honest anyway, and that means a lot to me.”

“Of course.” Veronica smoothed a hand up and down Betty’s back. “I would never put a boy before our friendship, not even Archie Andrews.”

They broke into giggling laughs, and Betty nestled her head against Veronica’s as they rocked back and forth.

“Did I tell you how gorgeous you look in this, darling?” Veronica asked. She leaned her head back to glance down at Betty’s flared dress, which matched the color of her blonde hair. “Did you make it yourself?”

“I’m glad _someone_ noticed,” she said, smiling proudly.

As the last notes of the song belted out from the speakers, Betty dropped a hand to Veronica’s waist and guided Veronica’s hand onto her shoulder.

“Big finish,” she said with enthusiasm, “are you ready?”

“For what?” Veronica asked anxiously. But she firmly gripped her partner’s shoulders as Betty took the lead.

Betty dipped her, leaning to one side with her hands clutched behind Veronica’s back. Veronica let out a surprised shout, one leg lifting as she swayed in Betty’s grip, but she found her balance again in an instant.

Her crown swung off her head in the moment and rolled away, happily forgotten by both of them.

The girls leaned close together, their faces just inches apart, grinning and laughing to themselves as their classmates broke into applause once again.

Betty held the pose just long enough to soak up the moment before pulling Veronica back up. She took hold of Betty’s hand as they bowed to the crowd, and then pulled her in for a tight hug.

“You are full of surprises, Betty,” she laughed.

Betty wrapped her arms around Veronica’s waist, beaming back at her. “And I’m glad you always go along with them Ronnie.”

Students crowded onto the dance floor around them as the next song began. Veronica smoothed her hands over Betty’s shoulders.

“I don’t think Reggie would mind if we squeeze in one more dance,” she said with a quirk of her eyebrow.

Betty nodded, pulling her in close.

“And I’m happy to keep Archie waiting for another song.”


	2. First Date

“Do you think this was one of his schemes,” Veronica asked, “or did Archiekins just get his wires crossed?”

Betty shook her head, staring down at her phone. “Who knows what goes through his head some days.”

They had been sitting at a booth in the Chock’lit Shoppe for a half hour, after arriving separately for what they both thought would be a date with Archie.

“He hasn’t texted me since he sent ‘See you at Pop’s at six,’” Betty said.

“And he told _me_ the same thing at school,” Veronica sighed. “I thought I saw his car peel off when Smithers pulled up. He must have realized his mistake too late.”

Pop stepped over to their booth just then, noticing the glum expressions on both their faces.

“Ready to pull the plug on your dates, ladies?” he asked.

“We think it was just one date, technically,” Veronica told him with a rueful smile.

“And it was D.O.A.,” Betty agreed.

Pop stuffed his order pad into a pocket of his apron, folded his arms and glanced between the two dejected girls. “You’re sure I can’t interest you in some milkshakes?” he offered. “Half off for broken hearts.”

They exchanged a look and shrugged in unison.

“Vanilla, please,” Betty said, putting on a thin smile for Pop’s sake.

“And chocolate for me. With fries?” She glanced at Betty.

“Large.” She nodded.

Pop smiled to himself as he strode off to the kitchen. “Won’t be long,” he called over his shoulder.

“I guess there’s no reason for the night to be a complete waste,” Betty said. “And it’s been too long since we had a girl’s night out.”

“Agreed. Archie doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

“Oh,” a smile lit up Betty’s face, “but he could.” Her fingers flicked across her phone screen as Pop came back with their milkshakes.

She raised her glass and her phone as Veronica held up her own drink.

“To us!” Betty said, clinking the glasses together.

“To us!” Veronica repeated with a wide grin.

She sipped her milkshake as Betty turned back to her phone. She held it out for Veronica to admire the end result: Veronica’s smiling face and their milkshakes filled the screen under the caption, “Milkshakes with the bestie.”

“I’ll make sure to add a few more to my ChatSnap story before we’re done,” Betty said, “while he sits alone, at home, thinking about how bad he messed things up.”

Veronica raised her eyebrows at the devilish grin on Betty’s face. She was used to thinking of her friend’s smile as comforting, not intimidating.

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” she laughed.

“You could never.”

“So you’ll let me have a sip of your milkshake?”

“I take it back,” Betty sighed, but she slid the drink across the table. Veronica pushed her own over for Betty to sample.

“So what else is new?” she asked, resting her chin in her hand. Betty mulled the question over as she took a sip.

“Just school paper stuff,” she shrugged. “But you probably don’t want to hear about that.”

“And why wouldn’t I?” Veronica asked. “You listen to me rattle on about fashion almost every day.”

“I _like_ listening to you talk about fashion, Ronnie,” Betty said. “Because you’re so passionate about it.”

“Ditto.” She slid Betty’s drink back across the table and pulled back her own, brushing Betty’s hand with her fingers. “So tell me all about it.”

Betty looked away, suddenly shy, as Pop Tate set a hefty plate of fries between them and walked off. She pinched one between her fingers, staring down at the table.

“Well,” she began, “it’s actually kind of a bummer. They’re thinking of shutting the paper down because of this year’s budget cuts.”

“Did you ask Mr. Weatherbee to reconsider?”

“I did,” Betty nodded, pursing her lips. “But he says it’s out of his hands.”

“Well, we could ask Mr. Carson.”

Betty squinted at Veronica across the table, her hand frozen holding a fry above the plate. “The school board superintendent?”

“Sure.” Veronica shrugged. “He’s one of daddy’s golf buddies, and if I remember right Mr. Carson owes him a few favors.”

She had to stifle a laugh as Betty’s jaw dropped. Her hand shot out, gripping Veronica’s tightly.

“Do you really mean it?”

“Yes,” Veronica nodded, setting her free hand on Betty’s. “I can’t promise anything but… well, you know daddy can’t say ‘no’ when I ask for something.”

Betty cocked her head, smiling. “Unless it involves you-know-who.”

Veronica rolled her eyes. “No more mentioning _him_ for the rest of the night.”

“You’ve got a deal.”

They lifted their milkshakes and clinked glasses once again, smiling over their drinks at each other.

“You always know just what to say when I’m feeling down,” Betty said, waggling a fry in Veronica’s direction.

“Because ‘Let’s go shopping, my treat’ usually does the trick.”

“Retail therapy solves _most_ of life’s problems, and good friends handle the rest.”

Veronica wrinkled her nose and stared off, deep in thought. “Who said that?”

“I did!” Betty laughed. “Just now.”

Veronica shook her head, smiling to herself. “Well, nights like these remind me that I’m glad you have my back.” She reached a hand across the table, her pinky finger extended. “And you know I have yours.”

For a moment, Betty looked like she would break into tears, and Veronica worried that she had said something wrong. But Betty wrapped their pinkies together with a soft smile.

“Always,” she said quietly.

Veronica stretched her fingers out, intertwining them with Betty’s as their hands rested on the table between them. She stroked her thumb over Betty’s, gazing into her bright blue eyes from across the table.

“Come here,” she said suddenly, patting the booth seat beside her. “Let’s take another one to remind a certain redhead what he’s missing.”

Betty slipped around the table beside Veronica, who stretched an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. They leaned their heads together, beaming, as Betty held her phone out.

“Say ‘best friends’ on three,” Betty said. “One, two, three!”


	3. First Kiss

“What I want to know is, why do we always have sleepovers at _my_ house?” asked Veronica.

Betty reclined her seat in the Lodge mansion’s private movie theater. “I can think of a couple good reasons,” she said, tossing a handful of popcorn into her mouth from the bowl in her lap.

They lounged in pyjamas – Betty in a pair borrowed from Veronica – as they stared up at the room’s enormous screen from their front row seats.

“Trust me,” Veronica said, scooping up a handful for herself. “If you lived here you would get bored by all of this…” she gestured around the room, “just like I do.”

“I’d like to take you up on that bet,” Betty said with a smile. “We could do a _Trading Places_ and see how long you last.”

“I’m not as spoiled as you seem to think.” Veronica gave her arm a playful shove, then chewed her lip, thinking it over. “Then again, it could be tough to give up my ensuite bathroom.”

Betty laughed until Veronica shoved her arm again.

“You still haven’t told me why you’re here watching sappy movies with me,” she complained, “when you were supposed to be out with Archie.”

Betty shrugged her shoulders and sat in silence, watching the movie with a sour expression.

“I just get tired of having my emotions played with, you know?” she said at last.

“That’s one game Archie never gets tired of,” Veronica said in an icy tone.

“And there’s only so many times I can forgive him for bouncing between me and you. No offense.”

Veronica waved her hand in an unconcerned gesture. “I know just what you mean darling.”

“So I was picking out my outfit and getting ready tonight… and I don’t know.” Betty sighed. “I just thought I would rather come over here and see you instead.”

Veronica draped an arm over her shoulders and Betty lifted her head, resting it in the crook of Veronica’s neck. It was the kind of familiar gesture they each knew they could make without an invitation, and Veronica reached her other hand up to stroke through Betty’s hair comfortingly.

“I’m glad you did,” she said. “My door is open whenever you need, no questions asked.”

“I know,” Betty said happily.

“Ooh!” She tapped Betty’s arm excitedly. “Here comes the best part.”

On screen, the two love interests were caught out in the pouring rain. It was one of the scenes the girls had watched over and over again during their movie nights throughout the years, and they knew every beat by heart.

“Why didn’t you write me?” Betty shouted along with the actress. She slammed her fist into her armrest, playing up the melodrama of the scene. “It wasn’t over for me!”

“I waited for you for seven _years_ ,” Veronica sobbed along. “And now it’s too late!”

“I wrote you 365 letters.” Betty dropped her voice to play the leading man, turning to stare into Veronica’s soft brown eyes. “I wrote you every day for a year.”

“You wrote me?” Veronica asked, making her eyes bug out in mock surprise.

“It wasn’t over,” Betty whispered emphatically. “It _still_ isn’t over.”

As the actors pulled each other into their arms, Betty leaned toward Veronica, her lips puckered up. Veronica played along, taking Betty’s face in her hands and pulling her close.

Their lips met, and brushed as they giggled. But Betty pressed her mouth to Veronica’s again, opening it slowly to trail her tongue along Veronica’s lips. When Veronica’s tongue pressed back against hers, the surprise shook Betty out of her reverie.

She leaned away, suddenly aware of how hot and flushed her face felt, and stared ahead at the screen. Her heart was racing inside her chest, and her stomach seemed to drop. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Veronica.

It was not their first kiss, technically. She had known Veronica all her life, and shared plenty of innocent, friendly, and playful kisses throughout the years. 

But this one struck Betty differently. She had been shocked by her own intense desire, and by Veronica’s equally passionate response.

It didn’t help that the next scene in the movie saw the characters rip their clothes off and jump into bed together.

Veronica cleared her throat, and Betty scolded herself for getting carried away.

“Veronica,” she mumbled, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.”

Betty glanced to the side and caught Veronica staring back at her, a sweet smile on her face.

“It was nice,” she said, “wasn’t it?”

“It was,” Betty agreed quickly, smiling in spite of her embarrassment.

She turned her blushing face away again, but leaned her head against Veronica’s shoulder. Veronica set her hand on the armrest between them and Betty clasped it, curling their fingers together.

They watched the movie play on for several minutes, until Betty found the courage to speak up again.

“Ronnie,” she said, “do you…”

They turned in their seats, locked eyes with each other, and saw instantly what they both wanted. Betty leaned in close, her eyes shut, as Veronica set a hand on her cheek.

They pulled away again as Betty started giggling under her breath.

“What’s so funny?” Veronica asked.

“You taste like popcorn,” Betty said, snorting as she tried to stifle her laughter.

“So do you,” Veronica teased.

She reached over to tickle Betty’s ribs, making her squirm in her seat.

“Don’t make me spill the bowl!” Betty laughed.

“Why?” Veronica said with a wry smile. “Do you want to go back to watching the movie?”

Betty set the bowl aside in the seat next to her.

“I just know you would make Smithers clean it up,” she said, and pulled Veronica back into her arms.


	4. First Christmas

“I’ll get it!” Betty yelled.

She bounded down the stairs and through the living room to get to the front door before her parents could. All the while, the doorbell kept ringing nonstop.

When Betty pulled the door open, she found Veronica shivering on the front step, her faux fur parka bundled up to her nose. She carried bags stuffed with brightly wrapped presents in both hands, and just behind her Smithers stood waiting with more.

“Come in, come in,” Betty said, taking some of the bags out of her hands.

“I don’t understand why Christmas has to be in one of the coldest months of the year,” Veronica complained, kicking off her heavy boots.

She caught Betty’s amused look and held up her hands defensively.

“Alright, I know _why_. I’m just saying even the mall felt cold last night, and I usually work up a sweat there.”

“The fire is on and we have hot cocoa in the kitchen,” Betty’s father Hal called from the next room. “Why don’t you come and grab some, Smithers.”

With the amount of time Veronica had been spending with Betty lately, her parents had come to know the Lodge family’s butler/ chauffeur as a regular houseguest.

Smithers was getting friendly with them too, judging by how quickly he set down the presents and dashed to the kitchen, rubbing his cold hands together.

Betty helped Veronica shrug out of her coat and hung it up, admiring her figure in the snug turtleneck underneath. At last, Veronica pulled her close and pecked her lips.

“Merry Christmas darling,” she whispered softly. Her lips were curled up in a warm smile as she gazed lovingly at Betty.

“Merry Christmas Ronnie,” Betty whispered back, planting another soft kiss on her lips.

They looked around at the piles of gifts that now cluttered every surface of the Cooper living room.

“I think someone went over the $50 limit,” Betty scolded, tapping a finger on Veronica’s nose.

“I swear I got most of this discount,” Veronica insisted, holding up a hand like she was taking an oath. “And besides…”

She toyed with the baggy fabric of Betty’s cozy sweater.

“Who says I can’t spoil my girlfriend at Christmas?”

“That would sound a little sweeter if _you_ were actually paying for all of this,” Betty said with a laugh.

“That reminds me: mommy and daddy both sent you something as well.”

She squinted down at the bundles of gifts, trying to tell which two boxes in the sea of presents came from them.

“I think that’s a good sign,” she added. “I can’t remember them ever getting anything for Archie.”

“You can open mine first,” Betty said excitedly. She led Veronica toward the couch by the fireplace. “I only got you the one… but I’ll admit I went over the spending limit too.”

“I knew I was having a good influence on you Betty,” Veronica teased.

She had just settled on the couch when Caramel, the Cooper family’s cat, jumped onto her lap. She lolled on her back as Veronica scratched behind her ears.

“I don’t know how you get her to do that,” Betty grumbled. She crouched down beside the Christmas tree to dig for Veronica’s present. “I’m convinced she likes you more than me.”

“Don’t look now,” Veronica whispered to Caramel, “but I think someone is a little jealous.” The cat purred blissfully.

Betty settled down beside them, and passed Veronica a large clothing box. “Now, if you don’t like this, you can just say so,” she told her.

“As if.” Veronica laughed, but she also noticed how closely Betty was watching for her reaction.

She untied the ribbon around the box and lifted it open, revealing a long-sleeved, lilac colored blazer. Her eyes went wide.

“Betty…” she said, feeling the soft fabric of a sleeve between her fingers. “Did you make this for me?”

She nodded, obviously relieved to see how much Veronica appreciated it. “I had to make some guesstimates, but I can let it in or out if you need me to.”

Veronica pulled it on, shooing Caramel out of the way, and marveled at how well it fit in a mirror above the fireplace.

“I wanted to get you something you could wear to school, or to one of your dad’s business events,” Betty said, watching with pride as Veronica marveled at her handiwork.

“It’s perfect Betty, I love it,” she said. It was clear from the awestruck look on her face that she really did. “My gift almost feels silly now.”

“Which one?” Betty laughed.

Veronica plucked one of the smallest presents from a towering pile of gifts and passed it to her. Betty noticed that this one was a little different from the others: the folds of the wrapping paper were crumpled, and held together with an excessive amount of tape.

“Did you wrap this yourself Ronnie?” she asked.

“Don’t tease, but yes.” She took her seat beside Betty again, stretching an arm out behind her. “Everything I got is nice but this one was… special. So it felt wrong to let Smithers wrap it up.”

Betty tore off the paper. Underneath, she found a pastel pink journal decorated in a floral pattern, the same one she had pointed out to Veronica while visiting a stationary shop the week before.

“You said your diary was getting full,” Veronica explained. “So I got you a new one.”

Betty gave her an adoring look, and curled her fingers around one of her jacket’s lapels. But Veronica pressed a hand to Betty’s chest before she could lean in for a kiss.

“Look inside,” she said.

Betty pulled back the front cover to find Veronica had left a glossy photo inside.

In the picture, they sat at a booth in the Chock’lit Shoppe, smiling with their heads pressed close together. Betty recognized it from the day when Archie had stood them both up, one of the first times she had seen Veronica in a new light.

She picked up the photo to take a closer look, and saw that Veronica had left an inscription on the journal’s fly leaf: “To a new year of happy memories – V”.

This time Veronica let Betty pull her into a tight embrace. She nuzzled her head into Veronica’s neck, sniffing back happy tears while Veronica rubbed her back.

“Don’t stain my new blazer,” Veronica told her, only half joking. Betty pulled away, rubbing her eyes and laughing.

“I think this is the best Christmas ever,” Betty said. She stroked a stray lock of hair from Veronica’s face.

“Wait until you see the pony I got you.”

Betty rolled her eyes, but doubted for a moment if even that was too extravagant for Veronica.

“Last chance for hot cocoa,” Hal called from the kitchen. “It will just be cocoa in a few more minutes.”

Betty left her journal and followed Veronica into the kitchen, but they froze in the doorway as her parents let out a pair of delighted shrieks.

“Look who’s under the mistletoe,” Betty’s mother Alice called out. She pointed above their heads.

Betty looked up to see the red and green decoration dangling from the doorway. “Moooom,” she groaned, “seriously?”

“Just be glad I talked her out of taking a picture,” Hal said, smiling over his mug of cocoa. Smithers sat beside him, trying to hold a poker face.

Betty sighed in annoyance, but turned to Veronica and found her blushing.

“We don’t have to-” Betty stammered.

“No, I mean-”

“It’s alright if you-”

“Well it’s a tradition, so…”

“Of course. If you don’t mind…”

Veronica shook her head.

Betty took her hand, stepped close, and leaned in.


	5. First Prom

The champagne cork bounced off the limousine partition with an echoing _thunk_ , and both girls had to cover their mouths to keep from laughing out loud.

“So much for, ‘I know how to open a champagne bottle the _right_ way,’” Betty giggled.

“Well I’ve seen it done enough times,” Veronica shrugged. “I thought I did.”

She quickly poured two flutes from the overflowing bottle, taking care not to spill any on her or Betty’s dress.

“Are you sure-” Betty jerked a thumb towards Smithers at his seat on the other side of the barrier. “-won’t tattle on us?”

“Who do you think snuck it out of the house for me?” Veronica said. She passed Betty her glass with a mischievous grin. “But I am a little worried _you_ might tattle on us.”

“I’ll have one drink,” Betty said. She held a finger up – _one_ – to make sure Veronica understood.

They tipped their glasses together and raised them to their lips. Betty screwed up her face, exhaling as she swallowed the tangy, bubbly liquid.

Veronica was as poised as ever as she set her empty glass on the bar beside her. Betty set her half empty glass next to it.

“Lightweight,” Veronica teased, stroking a finger down her bare arm.

“I’ll finish it later.” She coughed. “Maybe.”

“How do I look?”

Veronica stretched a leg through the split front of her red, off-the shoulder-dress to give Betty a complete impression.

“You’ve only asked me nine times already since we left your house,” Betty sighed.

But she set her hand on Veronica’s bare thigh, and gave her a peck on the lips that stretched into a long, sensuous kiss.

“But, for the tenth time,” she said, “you look incredible.”

The sound of her buzzing phone pulled Betty’s eyes away from Veronica’s grinning face.

“Ooh,” she said, “but you can see for yourself.”

She held the screen out, showing the photos Veronica’s parents had snapped as they posed on the Lodge mansion’s grand staircase earlier that night.

They stood together, smiling, with Betty’s arms wrapped around Veronica’s waist from behind in the classic prom pose.

“Precious,” Veronica cooed, gazing down at the picture. “But I’m amazed daddy figured out how to send you those.”

“Just think,” Betty said. She leaned her head on Veronica’s shoulder, gazing down at her phone. “Only a few months ago we _both_ imagined we would go to prom with-”

“I know,” Veronica laughed, “but don’t mention him.”

“But now…” She took Veronica’s hand in hers, turned to face her, and shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t even know how to say it, Ronnie, but I’m so incredibly happy with you.”

“You tell me every day.” Veronica laughed. “You told me tonight, you told me yesterday, and the day before that.”

Betty nodded. “I know, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. I feel…” She trailed off as Veronica pressed a finger to her lips.

“I know how you feel darling,” she said emphatically. “Because I feel just the same way.”

She pulled Betty in for a hug, and they were still holding each other tightly when Smithers pulled the limousine up to the curb outside Riverdale High.

“Here’s the big moment,” Betty said. “Are you ready?”

Veronica clasped hands with her. “With you, I am.”

*******

“I can’t say I’m surprised.” Mr. Weatherbee chuckled. “But it’s not very often that the same pair of students make Riverdale High history _twice_ in the same year.

Betty and Veronica beamed at each other as he set the crowns on their heads – the very same cheap plastic ones they had worn at homecoming, complete with a dent from when Veronica’s had bounced off the gym floor.

“For the first time ever,” their principal said, “I’m proud to present your Riverdale High prom _queens_.”

The cheers and whistled from their classmates echoed through the room as they descended from the stage, with Betty clinging to Veronica’s arm all the way to the dance floor.

This time they clasped hands, Betty’s left in Veronica’s right, and wrapped their free arms behind each other’s backs. They were swaying, cheek to cheek, when Betty looked up in surprise at the music.

“Didn’t you pick the song?” she asked, taken aback. Veronica only grinned.

“What else would I pick?” she said.

Betty’s eyebrows lifted. “I thought this wasn’t your ‘style.’”

“It’s not.” She shrugged. “But you are. And as far as I’m concerned this is our song.”

Betty was at a loss for words, so she just nuzzled her head against Veronica’s and swayed in time with her until the right ones came to her.

“I love you, Veronica Lodge,” she whispered.

“I love you, Betty Cooper,” she whispered back.

*

_How do I get through one night without you?_

_If I had to live without you_

_What kind of life would that be?_

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, please leave a comment! I thrive on feedback, good or bad, and would love to hear what you thought.


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